As we make the transition from 3G to LTE, networks are becoming more advanced. Industry leaders such as Ericsson describe the transition from 2G/3G to LTE and the role that the Evolved Packet Core (“EPC”) plays as follows: “[T]he difference with LTE is that it's all IP. In its simplest terms, moving to LTE means moving away from a packet/TDM network architecture to a simpler flatter all-IP packet-based infrastructure. This leads to blazingly fast speeds, impressive quality, and serious gains in efficiency—driving down the cost of sending a bit across the network.”
However, without access to an EPC, LTE handsets and radio access networks lose their functionality. A need therefore exists for an EPC to be made available in circumstances where the normal EPC on the network is not directly accessible.